Archive for
July 12th, 2009

The AP reports: Dwyane Wade said Heat president Pat Riley texted those sentiments very early Sunday, in what amounts to a largely ceremonial move. The Heat had to wait until 12:01 a.m. on July 12 to formally offer an extension to the reigning NBA scoring champion, and Wade said Riley didn’t wait too long before pressing the send button. “It’s no rush,” Wade said. “We all know that.” Wade didn’t reveal what the text message said, other than confirming the obvious, that Riley was reaffirming Miami’s hope that the 2006 NBA finals MVP sticks around for many years to come.

The Los Angeles Clippers today added coaching veteran Tony Brown as an Assistant Coach to Head Coach and General Manager Mike Dunleavy’s staff.

Brown joins the Clippers after last serving as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2007-08 campaign. This will mark Brown’s third stint under Dunleavy, serving as an assistant coach on Dunleavy’s staff in Portland (1997-2001) and as an advance scout in Milwaukee from 1994-97. This also is a return to the Clippers for Brown, who averaged 4.7 points in 22 games played for Los Angeles during the 1991-92 season.

Overall, Brown has spent 11 seasons as an NBA assistant coach, serving a three-year stint with the Boston Celtics (2004-07), before joining the Bucks in 2007. Prior to his three-years in Boston, Brown served as the lead assistant to Kevin O’Neill in Toronto (2003-04). He also spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons from 2001-03. During his time with the Pistons, the club registered back-to-back 50-win seasons, captured two Central Division titles, and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2003. Brown’s time in Portland saw the Trailblazers make four straight post-season appearances as well as two consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances (1999 and 2000).

In seven seasons as an NBA player, Brown split his time with nine teams, finishing with career averages of 6.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in 359 games. His best statistical season came in 1986-87 with New Jersey when he averaged 11.3 points in 30.4 minutes per game. The University of Arkansas product was a fourth-round draft choice of New Jersey in the 1982 NBA Draft.

Brown also played in the Continental Basketball Association (Lancaster Lightning, Ohio Mixers, Kansas City Sizzlers and Albany Patroons) and overseas with Reggio Emilia in the Italian League (1992-94).

The Dallas Mavericks announced today they have re-signed point guard Jason Kidd. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Several media outlets reported that the deal was for three years and at least $25 million.

Kidd (6-4, 210) remains a Maverick and will continue his second stint with Dallas after being acquired from New Jersey in a 2008 trade deadline deal. In helping the Mavericks to a 50-32 regular season record, Kidd averaged 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 2.0 steals and 35.6 minutes in 81 starts last season. He became only the fourth player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career assists when he recorded 15 vs. Toronto (3/1/09). He finished the 2008-09 campaign ranked sixth in assists per game (9.2), third in total assists (10,199), third in triple-doubles (103) and seventh in total steals (2,198) among the league’s all-time leaders.

Kidd, who was originally drafted by the Mavericks in the 1994 NBA Draft with the second overall pick, made Mavericks history in 1995 when he was named NBA Co-Rookie of the Year. During his first stay in Dallas, Kidd averaged 13.7 points, 8.7 assists and 5.9 rebounds in 182 games. The nine-time All-Star has started five midseason classics (1996, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2008) and in 1996 became the first Maverick to start an All-Star Game.

Kidd, a 15-year pro, has been named All-NBA First Team five times, while making the All-Defensive Team an additional seven times. Kidd holds career averages of 13.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 2.0 steals in 1,107 games. Kidd, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, most recently was a member of Team USA at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China after serving as tri-captain at the 2000 summer games in Sydney, Australia.

A former standout at the University of California-Berkeley, Kidd is a native of Alameda, Calif.